Nate Avery Trail

About the Trail

Flagstaff’s most popular urban trail makes a 2-mile loop around Buffalo Park, an expansive open space on the flat top of McMillan Mesa, an ancient lava flow. Most of the trail is on open, native grassland, but just to the west of the park entrance the trail dips into a wooded ravine. The trail provides a magnificent panorama to the mountains north of town, including the San Francisco Peaks, the Dry Lake Hills, and Mount Elden.

Before it became a City park and open space, Buffalo Park was a private wildlife park. Evidence of its former use can be found in the buffalo statue at the entrance to the park, the entrance structure, and a seasonal pond on your right just after you enter the park.

Endpoints

Loop starts/ends at Buffalo Park trailhead
Length2.0 mi | 3.2 km

Surface

Aggregate: 100 percent of the trail (2.0 mi | 3.2 km)

Grades

Easy grades: 93 percent of the trail has grades of less than 5 percent
Moderate grades: 2 percent of the trail has grades between 5 and 10 percent (250 ft | 76 m)
Steep grades: 4 percent of the trail has grades between 10 and 15 percent (400 ft | 122 m)
Very steep grades: >1 percent of the trail has grades of more than 15 percent (50 ft | 15 m)
Maximum grade: 16 percent